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The indigenous Pirahã tribe of Brazil has one of the most unusual languages in the world that relies on a wide variety of stresses and tones to make the most of its three vowels and eight consonants. The tongue's most surprising characteristic, however, is its complete lack of numbers. Research has shown the Pirahã simply never have developed the need to count quantities but instead describe things in terms of relative amounts.

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Two linguistics professors at the University of California, Santa Cruz, will use a $260,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study how vowel and consonant sounds are made in the Irish language. They will monitor tongue movements of native speakers by using a helmet with a portable ultrasound machine attached to it. The project aims to preserve spoken Irish.

The two candidates vying to be the next mayor of Boston have plans to make dual language programs a bigger part of the city's school system. A few years ago, Boston drew criticism from the federal government for its English language learner program, but since then the city has sought to expand its language instruction.

Branches of the New York Public Library have provided English classes as a free service for many years, but they have only recently expanded their offerings to include classes for foreign languages such as Spanish, French and Chinese. Library officials found an overwhelming level of interest in the courses from adult learners and have even had to turn away some potential students when classes were full.

European Parliament member Francois Alfonsi is leading an effort to increase awareness about endangered and lesser known languages spoken in Europe. While the 23 official languages of the continent are numerous and diverse, there is an estimated 250 languages indigenous to Europe. Some say recognizing and supporting these different tongues will promote social understanding.

Northern Illinois University's decision to award foreign language credits for American Sign Language highlights the debate over whether it should be considered a foreign language. Students say it mirrors the cultural immersion they get from Spanish or French programs, but some educators say indigenous tongues can't be foreign and that languages must have literature for study.